texified

Last week my mother who has been in a nursing home for almost three years, had to go to the hospital for dehydration.   My mother soon fell into a deep sleep and could not be roused, and her vital signs were steadily getting worse. Last Thursday afternoon (Feb 21) the doctor said that she doubted very seriously that my mother would recover. The doctor said that since hearing was the last to go, that everybody should come and say their goodbyes.  This is when my sister called me with the news.  I frantically made arrangements with the school for somebody to take over my classes and give the exams that were coming up.  I made arrangements for a flight out very early on Friday morning.  My ride, who had promised to take me to the airport shuttle pickup location, became angry for some silly reason  so I had to call a cab which couldn’t find my house. I could see him circling the neighborhood, but he couldn’t find my street.  With scant minutes to go until the shuttle left, the taxi finally found me, and I barely made it before the shuttle pulled out. The shuttle arrived at SeaTac airport thirty minutes before the plane was to board.     Since I haven’t been able to hook my new computer up with the printer, I wasn’t able to print out my boarding pass.  The lines for the American Airlines kiosk were so long that I began to worry whether I would get my boarding pass in time.  I finally was able to print out the pass, and since I was not checking any luggage, I hurried for the gate.  In the past I have gone through numerous security check lines, but none of them were the length of this one.  It wound like a long snake through the entire area before the gates.  I knew with a sinking heart that I couldn’t possibly catch the plane was due to board in twenty minutes. 

     After spending ten minutes in this line, an attendant told us to go to the next check point further down the terminal which had a shorter line.  Everybody made a mad dash down the terminal.  I was beginning to feel like one lone steer in a runaway stampede with drovers shouting and whistling on each side.  The new line was slightly shorter than the first one, and I finally made it through the checkpoint, but boarding had already started, and I found that the gate that I wanted was at the very end of this very long concourse (of course!).  As I ran along, I checked my phone, and I saw that I had a message which had come only moments before. It had been turned on but I apparently had not heard it ringing in the turmoil and confusion of the checkpoint. 

     I stopped before my gate, the last of the passengers were loading.  Should I check the message or not?  I knew in my heart that it was bad news, and I didn’t want to make the flight knowing the worst.  On the other hand the suspense would kill me also, I had to check it…the message was from my sister. I called her back immediately. During the night our entire clan had come to the hospital room in which my mother lay unconscious.  Everybody had said their tearful goodbyes.  Prayers were said.  Everybody had resigned themselves for the end.

     A little after midnight, my mother woke up and started looking around at everybody.  Her blood pressure rose and all her vital signs began returning to normal.  My sister said that perhaps I would want to wait a few days before coming in order to see what would happen.  I stood there before the departure gate, the last of the passengers had boarded…I thought of all the things I had to do to get here at this time.

    “Nope,” I said, “I’m coming!”

   It’s now Tuesday (Feb 26), my mother has continued to improve and left the hospital yesterday returning to the nursing home. The doctor said it was a miracle, and that she had never seen such a recovery.   Now I am faced with a dilemma: I took off two weeks when I thought things were going to be very bad.  Now…what should I do?  Should I remain here in Texas for the two weeks to see if  my mother continues to get better as seems apparent, or should I go back home…and all my waiting responsibilities?